


unsolicited advice

by mixtapestar



Series: a promising vacation [3]
Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Advice, Alternate Universe - No Beast (The Magicians), Introspection, M/M, Meddlesome Psychics, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:14:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27071056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mixtapestar/pseuds/mixtapestar
Summary: A return to normal after Encanto Oculto. Penny gives Quentin his two cents.
Relationships: Quentin Coldwater/Eliot Waugh, William "Penny" Adiyodi/Kady Orloff-Diaz/Julia Wicker
Series: a promising vacation [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964122
Comments: 5
Kudos: 44
Collections: Comfortween 2020





	unsolicited advice

**Author's Note:**

> For Comfortween Day 17: A for Effort (awkward comfort, terrible at comfort and trying anyway).
> 
> Thanks Rubi for reading through!

Quentin sits on the couch by the front door of the Physical Kids' Cottage, trying and failing to focus on his book. It's a Saturday night, and while there are plenty of students milling about, drinking and showing off, it's not nearly the same energy level as when Eliot and Margo are hosting.

As predicted, life after his week of Encanto Oculto has been… lackluster, to say the least. Eliot and Margo immediately disappeared into their thesis projects, and apparently while Quentin was gone, Julia worked things out with Kady and Penny. It had been a great night of getting wine drunk and catching up with Julia, right after Ibiza, but then Julia had stayed busy with her new girlfriend and boyfriend, while Quentin had tried not to feel rejected as Eliot locked himself in a study room in the library for days at a time.

"Oh my _god_ , are you still playing the sad sack routine?" comes a harsh voice, and Quentin jumps before he realizes it's just Penny.

"Oh, Christ," Quentin murmurs, focusing on his wards to make sure they're built up again. "What is it with you? I try to relax for five minutes and you're here getting in my head."

"You are the loudest whiner I have ever heard in my entire life. You don't relax, you scream."

"Some people like it when I scream," Quentin mumbles, ears burning as he holds up his book and pretends to read.

"Words cannot describe how much I don't wanna hear it."

Quentin stares at the same paragraph for another thirty seconds, and then lowers the book, but Penny is still sitting there on the other side of the couch. "So what are you still doing here?"

Penny rolls his eyes. "I'm waiting for Kady. Why, you need this whole couch for your pity party?"

"People are allowed to have feelings, you know. Some people even like that in a partner." Honestly, he can't see what Julia sees in Penny, besides his looks, but there must be something.

"Clearly. Which is why you're here with your dumbass kids book on a Saturday night."

Quentin purses his lips and tries to convince himself not to be hurt by that. "You're sitting here, too, asshole."

"Look, I'm just sayin', man. You're never gonna get anywhere sitting here feeling sorry for yourself. Me and Julia, we kept butting heads for like months, but all we really had to do was talk it out."

Talking it out with Eliot seems impossible, right now. If Eliot won't even make time for Quentin to blow him more than once every two weeks, how the hell are they gonna have a conversation? "Yeah, well. Thanks for the advice I didn't ask for."

"You think I asked for you monologuing inside my head? Do something about it already, so at least the next time your wards fall, I won't have Julia up my ass about it."

Quentin narrows his eyes at Penny, who seems to realize what he's just said. "Kady's not here at all, is she?"

Penny smears a hand roughly over his face. "She's with Julia in the Attic."

"So this was you… what, comforting me?"

"Don't expect it to happen again," Penny says, levering up off the couch.

"Oh no, because it was so helpful this time," Quentin says, deadpan. He watches Penny go, a little bit fascinated. Julia must really have him in deep, if he's willing to come here and talk to Quentin of all people about his relationship woes.

He sighs and closes his book. The worst thing is that Penny's probably right, but he just doesn't have the energy to deal with it tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love! More to come in this series soon. ;)


End file.
